Title: With injuries behind him, ‘the real DeMarre Carroll’ is finally introducing himselfDate: January 14, 2017Original Source:The AthleticSynopsis: In my latest for The Athletic Toronto, I looked at the offensive progression of the now-healthy DeMarre Carroll.

As the Toronto Raptors concluded a lethal, 25-4 pull-away run against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, Cory Joseph threw DeMarre Carroll an impossible alley-oop in transition.

Carroll, who spends the bulk of his time decidedly below the rim, still made something out of a lob that, in retrospect, seemed like it could have been his good pal teasing him. Carroll caught the tough pass with his left hand, transferred it to his right, and converted the difficult finish.

Carroll, the garishly dressed and self-anointed Sr. Swag Daddy does not want for confidence in most aspects of his life. He knows who he is, he knows how to dress, and he knows – or knew – what he brings to an NBA team.

For the better part of his two seasons in Toronto, Carroll hasn’t been able to play with the confidence that made him one of the league’s sneakier off-ball threats as a member of the Atlanta Hawks. There was a persistent knee injury that required in-season surgery last year, an offseason of rest, and then a slow, methodical, sometimes frustrating plan to work his way back to 100 per cent. A year-and-a-half, or just 60 regular season games after signing with the team, Carroll is finally, free to worry about his play rather than his knee, allowing his unflinching confidence to carry over onto the offensive end of the court.